Letter: Mining company expects a return on campaign donations

Mine would decimate northern Wis.

Gov. Scott Walker points to a Wisconsin flag at Applied Laser Technologies in Weston, Thursday, January 17, 2013, during his State of the State Tour. He emphasized his themes of creating jobs, passing a mining bill, reforming government and education, cutting taxes and rebuilding the state's infrastructure, themes he emphasized in his recent State of the State message.

EDITOR: Every large metallic ore mine worldwide has caused significant environmental damage. Why then are Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican cronies in such a rush to pass a bill that would seriously weaken existing environmental regulations, under which the largest iron mine in the world would be allowed to operate in northern Wisconsin? Why are the loss of wetlands, the increased release of mercury and acid mine runoff into streams considered to be a fair trade-off for a few potential jobs? Could the reason be the $11.34 million received by Walker or the $74,915 received by state Sen. Tom Tiffany, the bill's author, from interest groups supporting mining deregulation?

Let us take a look at a few lecture notes from our Economics 101 course. Investment companies such as the Florida-based Cline Group, owner of Gogebic Taconite, expect a certain return on their investment. What happens if spending money to comply with existing environmental regulations adversely affects the return on their investment? Apparently, the easiest way for Gogebic Taconite to turn a profit is to have the governor and the Legislature toss environmental regulations out the door.

Mine proponents talk about the number of jobs that will be created but do not mention the potential loss of jobs in the tourism and outdoor recreation industry, if mountain-top removal through blasting, drag-line excavating and oversized truck hauling destroy the northern Wisconsin landscape.

Please ask your state senator or representative in Madison to reconsider and vote no on the mining bill.

Richard Brown,

Merrill

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Letter: Mining company expects a return on campaign donations

EDITOR: Every large metallic ore mine worldwide has caused significant environmental damage. Why then are Gov.

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